A map scale is the relationship between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the earth. For example, 1 centimeter on a map might represent 1 mile on the ground.
The ratio between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the earth, often represented as 1:80,000 (natural scale) or 30 miles (48.27 kilometers) to an inch. A map scale shows the relationship between the distance on the ground and the corresponding distance on a specific map. The scale generally used in architectural drawings, for example, is 1 / 4 inch to one foot, which means that 1 / 4 of an inch on the drawing equals one foot on the building being drawn. For example, on a 1:100000 scale map, 1cm on the map equals 1km on the ground. Map scale refers to the relationship (or ratio) between distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. Large scale maps make each feature look larger, and show a smaller geographic area. Most scales appear on the bottom or top corner of a map. Nearly all maps contain a scale, but the scale used varies depending on the individual map. Map scale may be expressed as an equivalence, usually by different units (e.g., 1inch = 1mile or 1:63,360); or graphically, as a bar scale. Map scale refers to the size of the representation on the map as compared to the size of the object on the ground. A map scale is a ratio of the distance on a map to the actual distance of the ground. Map scale is often confused or interpreted incorrectly, perhaps because the smaller the map scale, the larger the reference number and vice versa. a ratio which compares a measurement on a map to the actual distance between locations identified on the map.